News

IME Announces the Retirement of Chris Ronay

12/11/2013

With a great deal of gratitude, and a measure of sadness, we announce the retirement of Chris Ronay as President of the Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME). Over the past twenty years, Chris has ably led IME as its President, including navigating some challenging times for the industry. Moreover, he has facilitated the expansion of IME's expansion of IME's membership base and retained the loyalty of its existing members through difficult financial times and threatening legislative and regulatory initiatives. In addition, Chris has developed a very competent, motivated staff that works directly and diligently to enhance the IME's important work on behalf of the industry and IME's diverse membership.

Chris was chosen to take on the role as IME's President, transitioning to the Institute following a twenty-three year career as a Special Agent with Federal Bureau of Investigation. There he served in various explosives-related assignments, ultimately retiring from the Bureau as the Chief of the Explosives Operations Group. Chris began his professional career as a commissioned officer in the United States Army, commanding an armored Cavalry unit in Vietnam and later the Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Detachment at Ft. Benning, Georgia. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, and later earned a Master's degree in Forensic Science from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

For two decades, Chris commanded IME's multifaceted charge to foster greater security and manage appropriate regulation in the explosives industry, together with being instrumental in enhancing its safety. Chris consistently urged increased research and understanding of explosives-related matters in the field of safety, security, transportation, storage, government affairs, and the environment, among others. As a result, the IME has produced detailed and substantive educational materials that set the bar for the explosives industry and remain highly influential to explosives industry stakeholders.

Chris’s personable, diplomatic, and influential nature has gained the respect of not only IME’s members, but also of legislators and regulators at multiple levels of government, fostering partnerships that will serve the industry well into the future. Chris has developed strong cross-border relationships with IME’s global counterparts and partner associations, enabling a collaborative international approach to responsible governance and enhanced safety within the explosives industry. Under Chris’s watch, the IME has received NGO status with the United Nations and has produced IMESAFR, a significant tool in explosives security and safety.

It was fitting that Chris presided over the IME’s celebration of a century of safety and explosives industry leadership (1913-2013) in Santa Barbara, California in May 2013. We wish Chris all the best as he transitions to retirement and look forward to continued association as circumstances permit.